Camera finder



Sept. 21, 1937. Q H wHn-LOCK 2,093,500

CAMERA FINDER 5 Sheei'zs-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 8, 1955 INVENTORWlan# vis ATTORNEY Sept. 21, 1937. c. H. wHrrLocK 2,093,500

CAMERA FINDER Original Filed Deo. 8, 1953 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORkrZMQZZZoQ ze ATTORNEY C. H. WHITLOCK CAMERA FINDER Original Filed"De-:1o. 8, 1953- 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept.21, 1937.

TQQ/2 mi N 'IIIIIV Patented Sept. 21, 1937 `1 f CAMERA FINDER Carlll.`Whitlock, Lockport, N. Y., assignor, by..` mesne assignments, vtoUniversal Camera Corporation,` New York N. Y., a Vcorporation Vof l"NewYork q y l. Original applicaticns"Deceinber 8, 1933, Serial No.701,488, and January 29, 1934, Serial No. l 708,770. Dividedand thisapplication August 14, 1934, Serial No. 739,801 l t s claims. `(c1.ssi-64)" `This invention relates to photographic camis shown acameracomprising in general a body eras and more particularlyto theso-callediind- 2&3 including a removable back cover 2l, afront.` ers ofsuch cameras, which enable the` loperator cover 22 (which may bepermanently attached to determine the field of View which will beV emtothe rest of the body), a wall 23, a lens 24,

UNITED `S1V lTES` PATENT l, orties 5 bracedfby a picture taken with thecamera.` and suitable shutter mechanism including a shut- 5 An object ofthe invention is the provision of ter blade 2.5 located between theparts 22 and 23. a simple and effective camera finder of the di- At anintermediate'pointbetween the front rect view type, requiring no lens,mirror, or and back of the camerathereis a wall 2G exground glass plate.tending upwardly and then rearwardly to form,

l `.Pmother object is theprovision of such afinder together witha partof the back cover 2l, -a l0 which is light and compact, inexpensive toconspool chamber for receiving a spool 21 on which struct, and easy toVapply to the camera with the film 28 may be wound. A spring member whichvit is to be used. 29 in the spool chamber partly encircles the spool Tothese and other ends the invention resides and contacts with the lm,when any considerl in certainl improvements and combinations of ableamount of film is on the spool, to hold the l5 parts,` all as will be`hereinafter more fully defilm snuglyin place and prevent accidentalunscribed, the novel features beingV pointed out in winding of theconvolutions thereof. This spring theclaims at theend of thespecification. member 29 may be heldin place by a rivet 30 passingthrough the Wall 26.

In the drawings: 4

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a camera having Preferably the parts 2li,2l,- 22, 23, and 2li,` are 20 l l a finder constructed. according to oneembodiall molded fromsome suitable molding material, ment of the'presentinventiom such for example as Bakelite Fig; 2 is a frontviewthereof;` l On the upper front outer surface of the Walls Fig. 3 isa fragmentary plan thereof;` 26 forming the upper spool chamber,approxi- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical `section through mately alongthe optical center of the camera, 25 a part of the camera and thefinder; there is preferably a lug 40 molded integrally with Fig. 51s aside elevation` of a slightly different the wall 26, which lug 40presents a square coroamera having a finder` constructed according neraround which an angular metallic bracket to another embodiment ofthepresent invention; 42 may extend, as best shown in Figs.` 1 and 4. Fig.6 is a front View thereof;` The same rivet 30 which holds the spring 29in `30 Fig. 7 is a` plan thereof; place in the spool chamber may alsopass through Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section through thebracket 42 to hold it in place, as `clearly seen the camera shown inFigs. 5-7; in Fig. 4. The bracket 42 passes upwardly along Fig..9 is asimilar view ofthe back cover of the front of the molded lug 40', turnsapproxil the camera removed from `the rest of the body; mately a rightangle and passes rearwardly l35 Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation ofsaid back through a shallow groove formed in the top of coveryviewedfromthe inside; 2i l l the lug 40, and thence is bent again and onceFig. -11 is ari elevation of the front fcover of more extends upwardlyas at 43, this last upthe camera, viewed from the inside,"and wardlyextending portion having a viewing aper- Fig. 12 is an elevation of thefront end of the ture 44 formedtherein so that the member 43 40camerawith the front cover and other` parts reforms a Viewing elementthrough which one may moved. l 'i z look. The sides of the abovementioned shallow The same reference numerals throughoutlthe groove inthetop surface of the molded lug 4!) severalviews' indicate Athevsameparts.v engage the sidesof r.the bracket 42 so that this 45 The presentapplication, as to the subject matpart ofthe bracket is held firmlyagainst side- 45 ter of Figsl 1 to 4, inclusive, is a `division of myWise movement and thus `the single rivet30 is application for patent' onCamera, Serial iNo. suflicient to attach the bracket securely to the701,488, filed December 8, 1933, and as to the camera body, `nootherfsecuring means being 'subject matter ofFigs. 5 to 12, inclusive,isa dineeded,

vision `of my application for patent on Camera, Near the upper frontcorner ofthe bracket'42 50 Serial No. 708,770, filed January 29, 1934.'Variare two ears-45, preferably struck up from the oussubjectmatterdisclose'd 'but notclaimed in same piece of sheet metal ofwhich'the bracket this present application is claimed in said lparentitself is formed. These ears, 45 each have an applications and inlotherdivisions thereoffvf aperture 46 for receivingV pivot extensions "41Referring nowV to Figs-.1 to 4 inclusive, there formed at the sides of arectangular metallic 55 member 48 which is apertured to form a secondviewing element. The ears 45 are slightly curved in a verticaldirection, as shown in Fig. 2, and are provided along their inner faceswith slight vertical grooves 49 which receive the side edges of theviewing element 48 in either of two positions approximately apart.

When it is not in use, the second viewing element 48 is turneddownwardly to the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, theside edges of the element then snapping into the lower parts of thegrooves 49. In this position, the element 48 lies substantially alongthe outer side of `the front wall of the upper spool chamber, as shown,with the bottom or free end of the element close to, but slightly above,the flat top wall of the camera body, as plainly seen in the drawings,and it is also seen that in this position the viewing element issubstantially parallel to the camera front 22.

When it is desired to use the viewing elements as a finder to observethe photographic field of the camera, then the element 48 is grasped andforcibly pulled forwardly and upwardly to snap it out of the lower partsof the grooves 49 and turn it approximately 180 until it snaps into theupper parts of the grooves 49, the ears 45 being slightly resilient sothat this may be readily accomplished. When turned up to this effectiveviewing position, the element 48 occupies the dotted line positionindicated at 48a in Fig. l of the drawings, and the large aperturetherethrough is in optical alinement with the smaller aperture 44through the non-collapsible viewing element 43. The sizes of theapertures in the two viewing elements are, of course, so proportionedwith respect t0 each other and to the distance between them, that whenthe eye of a person is held just to the rear of the element 43, theperson by looking through the apertures in the alined elements 43 and 48will see, framed by these viewing elements, the photographic eld of thecamera. Thus these viewing elements constitute a direct view nder ofsimple and effective form, which can be made inexpensively and which iseasily applied to the camera during the course of its manufacture.

Referring now to Figs. 5 to l2 inclusive, there is here shown a somewhatsimilar but slightly different form of camera, including a direct Viewfinder of an alternative construction.

The camera comprises a body 58 having a removable rear cover 5I, a frontcover 52, and a partition 53 spaced somewhat rearwardly from the frontcover, as shown. It also has a lens 58, and suitable shutter mechanismincluding, for example, a shutter blade 55 located in the space betweenthe walls 52 and 53. The front cover 52 is held on the rest of thecamera in any suitable manner, preferably being permanently securedthereto as by means of a rivet 56.

At the top and bottom of the camera body are walls 51 forming, togetherwith the back cover 5|, spool chambers for holding lm spools 58 on oneof which the film may be supplied and on the other of which it may bewound up after exposure in any suitable'manner. The back cover 5I isremovable to obtain access to the film spools, and when it is replacedon the rest of the camera body it is held thereon in any suitablemanner, preferably by tight frictional engagement therewith.

The eld viewing means in the present embodiment includes a lug 6|projecting upwardly from the top of the upper spool chamber, which lughas a sighting aperture 62 therethrough. So far as mere viewing of theeld is concerned, this lug may be formed either on the main camera bodyor on the removable back cover, but it is preferable to form it, asshown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, as a molded part integral with the backcover 5I, so that this lug may serve also as a convenient part againstwhich to press rearwardly when it is desired to remove the back coverfrom the camera.

The aperture '62 forms the rear sight of a pair of sights, the front oneof which is formed by a pivoted bent wire frame best shown in Figs. l,2, and 3. The frame is formed of a piece of wire bent into generally Ushaped form with an end cross bar 65 and spaced parallel sides 66, asshown in Fig. 2. From the ends of these sides 66, the wire extendsoutwardly as at 61, thence is offset slightly upwardly at '68, thenrearwardly and slightly inwardly at 69 to an angular nub or point T0,then further rearwardly and outwardly at 1l, and finally inwardly at 72,the inwardly extending ends being received in suitable recesses in thecamera and forming pivots about which the entire wire frame may beturned. The wire frame may conveniently be pivoted to the camerasubstantially at the junction between the main camera body 50 and thefront cover member 52. For instance, the upper front corners of the body50 may have recesses 15 on their front surfaces, as shown in Fig. 12,and the inwardly extending ends 'l2 of the wire frame may be engaged inthese recesses 15, being held therein by the rear surfaces of the frontcover member 52 which abut against that portion of the body 59 in whichthe recesses 15 are located and serve to close the open forward sides ofthese recesses.

The wire frame when not in use may be swung down so that the main Ushaped part thereof lies substantially along the front surface of thecamera front 52, as plainly shown in full lines in Figs. 6 and 8. Thefront member 52 is provided near its top, with a groove 16 at each side,as shown in Figs. 7 and 11, and the points or corners 'I0 of the wireframe spring into these grooves 16 when the frame is turned down to theineffective position just described, to retain the frame resiliently inplace.

When it is desired to use the finder, the wire frame is grasped andforcibly pulled forwardly and upwardly, to spring the points 'i0 out ofthe grooves 16, and the frame is turned approximately 180 about itspivots 12 to bring it to the dotted line position illustrated in Figs.5, 6, and '7. In this position, the laterally extending portions 61 ofthe wire frame lie on top of the main camera body 58 and prevent furtherrearward movement of the frame, while the pointed shoulders 10 nowengage in groove 11 formed on the sides of the camera body near theirtop edges to hold the frame in this upright effective position. The wireof which the frame is made is, of course, sufficiently resilient so thatthe corners 10 will spring into the respective grooves 16 and 71, butmay be forcibly sprung out of these grooves by slight effort.

It will be seen that the two positions of the wire frame viewing elementare substantially ofiset from each other. In the effective position themain part of the viewing element lies substantially along the front faceof and parallel to the camera front 52, while in the ineffective viewingposition the main part of the viewing frame lies in a plane stillparallel to the camera front 52 but spaced rearwardly a considerabledistance therefrom, as readily seen from Fig. 5. When the wire frame iserected to its upstanding viewing position it is in optical alinementwith the "ber of ways.

2,093,500 `viewing aperture 62 in the rear viewing element 6l, so thatif the operator places his eye just to the rear of the aperture 62, hemay sight through this aperture and through the outline of the 'U shapedpart of the wire frame, which is of the proper size and proportion sothat it will then define for the operator the approximate photographicfield of the camera. p

While certain embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is tobe understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a num- Thisapplication is therefore not to be limited to theprecise detailsdescribed, but is intended to cover al1 variations and modificationsthereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

ment extending outwardly from one of said extensions in substantiallyxed position relatively thereto, and a second viewing element pivotallymounted adjacent said one of said extensions and adapted, when not inuse, to be folded down along the front of said one of said extensionswith its free edge closely adjacent one side of said rectangula'i bodyportion.

2. A non-collapsible camera comprising a substantially rigid body havinga generally rectan gular portion and extensions on two opposite sides ofsaid portion at the rear end thereof to form chambers for receiving filmspools, a member fxedly mounted on one of said extensions, said membercomprising a fixed viewing element extending outwardly from one of saidextensions, and a second viewing element pivotally mounted on saidmember and adapted `to be folded down along the front of said one ofsaid extensions with its free end adjacent the top wall of saidrectangular body portion.

3. A non-collapsible camera comprising a substantially rigid body havinga generally rectangular portion and extensions on two opposite sides ofsaid portion at the rear endthereof to form chambers for receiving filmspools, a viewing element comprising a member having a vertical portionprojecting above the top wall of said spool chamber and provided with aviewing aperture, a second vertical portion substantially parallel tosaid aperturedv vertical portion and extending below the said top wall,a horizontal portion interconnecting said vertical portions,

said horizontal portion being disposed adjacent the said top wall, saidsecond vertical portion being fixed to said camera wall and providedwith a pair of aligned ears, andl a second member mounted in said ears,said second member being provided with an aperture adapted to be inoptical alignment with said rst mentioned viewing aperture.

`CARL H. WHITLOCK.

